Don't Look Back
by athamae
Summary: When Kate arrived at Washington College she didn't expect to have a crazy roommate, let alone a roommate who is an international secret agent. At first she is reluctant, but when her parents are kidnapped by the malicious anti-government group Opiate, Kate must train as an agent in order to help Cammie rescue them. But is she enough? Or will she crash and burn head to head?
1. Chapter 1

The day I met Cammie Morgan was the day my life spiraled out of control. Don't get me wrong, things were pretty crazy before that. My parents worked in an area of the CIA that required a lot of traveling, so I've never lived in the same location for more than sixteen months. Needless to say, I had quite a bit of excitement in my eighteen years, but when I met Cammie Morgan on the first day of College my life took a drastic turn for the weird.

To start, I didn't actually meet her until three in the morning of orientation day, as that is when she arrived. She had picked the lock to our dorm room window, and snuck in looking as if she had just stepped from a James Bond movie. I awoke that night only to see my new roommate scouring every corner of the dorm room. I think I must have inhaled or something, because Cammie whipped around to face me, and grinned slyly.

"Well," She said. "I hope you don't mind change, because things are going to get very weird around here." Boy was she right. Things got _very_ weird, and continued to get weirder every day from then on out. Particularly, four months later, on that day at the mall. . . .

"Cammie, I realize you have a need to scour every inch of every room you step in, but really, this is getting ridiculous." I crossed my arms over my chest, watching as my roommate slipped under yet another changing room stall. I heard a small shriek, followed by a quick apology from Cammie before she emerged again. "Was there a person in there?" Incredulous, I rolled my eyes.

Cammie shrugged, brushing dust from her jeans as she picked herself up. "More or less," she muttered, running a hand through her dirty blonde hair. Another thing about Cammie, she never gave a straight answer, even when it was obvious.

"What are you doing, anyway?" I handed Cammie her bag, and she shrugged as she hooked it over her shoulder.

"Just looking around." She turned to me, her blue eyes sharp. "You haven't seen anyone with a barcode shaped tattoo on the base of his neck, have you?"

I was incredulous. "What? No; why would I notice something like that?" Cammie shrugged, evidently choosing to ignore my question. She slunk from the changing room, peeking around the wall before passing. I heaved a sigh. Either this girl was overly cautious, or she was up to something. The sinking feeling in my stomach warned me of the latter. Cammie paused at a rack of sweaters and began to flip through them, though her eyes were scanning the store discretely. Cammie must have spotted something, because suddenly she tensed.

Cammie turned to me, alarm on her face. "Go into the changing room," she ordered. Before I could ask why she whirled me around and shoved me forward. "Eighth stall on the right. Stand on the bench so your feet can't be seen, but make sure your head isn't over the door." She spoke quickly, and low, giving me one last push into the changing room.

I turned around for a split second before carrying out her demands, quick enough, though, to see her pull out her phone and punch a few numbers into the keypad before shoving it back into her bag. Even though I've only known Cammie for a few months, I knew something was up. I chose to trust her and followed her directions, making sure I was not seen in the stall. I held my breath.

Cammie may be weird at times, but more often than never, for good reason. Once, she forced me to skip a Chemistry lab, and I found out later that there had been a huge explosion at my assigned workbench. Another time she had me go to the dean of student affairs about some kid on our floor. Turns out he was the son of a known sniper and he and his father were planning to out the state senator. I had my reasons to trust Cammie, however strange they were, but they were valid.

Not a minute later, Cammie slid under the stall and bolted to her feet. She leapt onto the opposite bench in the stall and placed her palms on the ceiling. The tile gave way, and she grinned. "Common," She muttered to me. "Give me a boost, then I'll pull you up. Quick!" There was a hint of desperation in her voice. Something about it made me feel queasy. Cammie was always so laid back and cool and composed. Seeing her just a little bit desperate was unnerving.

Something was going to happen, I knew. Something big. And if I didn't follow her orders, it would only make the situation that much worse.

"What's going on?" I asked as I cupped my hands. Cammie stepped into them and allowed me to boost her upwards. She pulled through the hole in the ceiling, disappearing for a moment before pushing her head through and offering me her hand.

"I can't tell you right now." She grasped my hand and helped me into the ceiling, smoothly as if it had been no effort at all.

"Why not?" I protested, glancing around. We were on the roof of the mall, apparently.

I turned back to Cammie who was fumbling around in her bag. She shook her head. "I just can't, OK? Just . . . just trust me."

I frowned. "I _do_ trust you Cammie, but you need to tell me what's going on or I'm not going to be any use to you. Whatever is going on, I can help you."

Cammie snorted at this before composing herself. She drew a flashlight from the bag, finally turning to me. In the dim lighting, I could see nothing but her eyes glowing in the dark. A noise sounded from below. I peered down the hole into the dressing room, and nearly gasped.

Two men were standing in the stall, clothed darkly with shiny silver guns pointed up at me. I opened my mouth to scream, but Cammie lunged at me. The force of her weight sent us both skidding to the side just as a gunshot rang through the air.

Rolling over, Cammie leapt to her feet, dragging me with her. From her bag she drew her own weapon, a small gun-shaped taser. Panic rose in my chest. _Oh my god my roommate is a psycho. _I thought, taking a few steps away from her.

Noticing my withdrawal, Cammie tossed a desperate look over her shoulder. "I'm not going to hurt you, Kate. Get behind me, now!" I hesitated, but did what she said when I noticed the two men I had seen earlier clambering through the hole in the roof. Cammie began to back up slowly, keeping the gun pointed at the men. "Lay down your weapons and I won't shoot," Cammie barked, her voice surprisingly calm.

The men ignored her. I saw one of them release the safety on his gun, and that's when Cammie attacked. She tossed the taser to the ground, and before I could blink she had kicked the gun from one of the men's hands and was wrestling the other to the ground. The man's now unarmed partner came at her from behind, but before he could touch her she swiveled around and roundhouse kicked him hard in the groin. _Ouch_. She turned to the other man who had managed back to his feet and the two engaged in what appeared to be a martial arts dance. Cammie punched and kicked and dodged his blows with effortless movements, her actions precise and effective. It was like watching the matrix right before my very eyes. I watched as Cammie bent over backwards to grab onto the dropped taser and kick over to her feet. She aimed the weapon at the man and shot a single wire into his chest. The man seized for a moment before dropping to the ground, unconscious.

The other man was clambering to his feet the gun aimed in my direction, and it was then Cammie turned to me. "Run!" She yelled, grabbing onto my hand. We ran to the other side of the roof, and the man followed. We were trapped. Down below, cars whizzed past through the city streets. There was no escape from here. I turned to Cammie, expecting to see a scared expression in her eyes, only what I saw was much more surprising.

She was grinning. Cammie turned to me, a wild expression on her face. "When I say go, jump. No questions, got it?" I stood in shock, wondering just what she had in mind, but for some reason I figured she had a plan. I nodded.

Cammie turned back to the man, who was quickly gaining on us. He yelled something I couldn't understand and released the safety on his gun. It was then Cammie turned to me and yelled:

"Go!"

**AN: Please review! I'll try to have the next chapter up within a few days. Thank you! **


	2. Chapter 2

TWO

When I was a sophomore in high school my parents were relocated to Headquarters in France, but since my understanding of the French language was pretty much limited to _oui, non, _and _frites francaises _they made me live with my grandmother in Nevada. At my new school I somehow made friends with a group of rebel kids who snuck out every night to go on 'adventures'. I mostly abstained from these outings but eventually I caved into the pressure. I told my grandmother I would be staying at a friend's house and my little group of ragtag adventurers set out. To be honest I don't remember the events leading up to it, but we ended up in a poker bar in Vegas and almost stumbled into what appeared to be a drug ring.

That had long reined champion as the craziest night of my life, but that day seems like nothing compared to the day I discovered Cammie's true identity.

When Cammie said the word I jumped. I didn't know what would happen, or if I would make it out alive, but I jumped. Apparently before we left the dorm room Cammie had slipped a pressure activated parachute into my backpack – as if she had known we would have to jump off the Washington Mall roof. About half way through the fall the parachute inflated and I drifted slowly to the sidewalk. Cammie landed a few feet away.

Before I had time to speak a car rolled up to the curb. It was black, and the windows were darkly tinted, but Cammie opened the door without hesitation and pulled us both through. I slid onto the black leather seats just as Cammie shut the door and the car began to move. It was then I was finally able to take a moment and breathe.

In that moment hysteria from what I had just experienced rushed upon me. My pulse quickened and my breath was coming in short gasps. "Oh my god, oh my god," I repeated over and over again. The world was spinning around me and for a moment I thought I would faint.

Cammie cursed, grabbing hold of my wrist. "Kate? Are you ok?" Her words seemed to ground me for a moment. I blinked, looking into the blue of her eyes. Even in the dim lighting I could see that her dirty blonde locks were plastered to her face with sweat. Her cheeks were flushed a rosy color but the expression on her face was collected. She repeated, "Are you ok?"

I almost laughed. "Am I ok?" I nearly shouted. "Do you think I'm ok? After everything I just experienced?" I let out a disbelieving snort. "What makes you think I'd be ok?"

Cammie drew back, raising an eyebrow. "Good, you're not going into shock," she sighed, resting back into her seat. "That would have raised some complications." I stared at my roommate, incredulous.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on? Or are you going to leave me in the dark?"

"Do I have the option of leaving you in the dark or was that rhetorical?"

"Cammie!"

My roommate grinned, a small, ironic grin. "I'm kidding, Kate. I understand that you just witnessed something very unusual and surprising and it's totally natural to be curious. There's a lot I'm not really authorized to tell you, but I will try to explain the best I can."

Cammie took a deep breath. "Up until this point you know me as Cammie Thomson, but that is not who I really am. My true identity is Cameron Morgan, a secret agent for the Gallagher Secret Service Commission." Cammie paused, keeping her gaze firmly locked on mine. I blinked, disbelieving.

"You've got to be kidding me," I laughed once, shaking my head. "You've got to be _fucking _kidding me. Do you honestly expect me to believe that you're a secret agent? What is this – some sort of joke?" Cammie rolled her eyes at my disbelief, shooting me an expression that read _think about it. _I opened my mouth to speak when the puzzle suddenly began to take shape. Cammie's actions, her mannerisms, her complex personality – it all made sense.

_Holy shit. _

My eyes widened. "No way," I breathed, my eyes flickering to Cammie's. "I don't believe this."

"Well you better start, because we're here." Cammie reached over me to roll down my window. Towering over me was the most magnificent building I had ever seen. It was tall, and shaped in an intimidating half circle like a crescent moon. "Welcome to headquarters!"

In the five months I'd known Cammie, she had always been the take-the-lead type person, but never have I seen her like this. Before the car had even rolled to a stop Cammie was out of the car and making her way towards the building. She walked in long, even strides, her posture tall and composed. Everything about her was controlled, balanced. I'd never seen anything like it. I scrambled after her, internally whimpering like a lost puppy.

The inside of the building was more majestic than the outside, but I hardly had any time to admire it's beauty because as soon as we entered we were intercepted by a tall, slim woman with short blonde hair. Her mannerisms were almost identical to that of Cammie's and it didn't take long for me to realize the woman was her mother.

"Good afternoon Agent Morgan," the woman nodded towards Cammie, her eyes unmoving and cold. There was something in her facial expression that drew chills down my spine. Cammie seemed to be unperturbed. She kept her gaze locked on the woman without reaction.

"'Morning Chief," Cammie said, cocking her eyebrow defiantly. "This is Katelyn Shae, subject on the X Case."

The woman's gaze temporarily flickered to mine, but she was looking at Cammie when she said, "Welcome Katelyn."

Cammie turned to me, "This is Rachael Morgan, leader and co-founder of the Gallagher Secret Service Commission. Most people around here call her Chief, but _I _have the pleasure of calling her _mom_."

"It's n-nice to m-meet you, Mrs. M-morgan – I m-m-mean Chief." I mentally kicked myself for acting so nervous, but the cold aura that surrounded her made it near impossible. Chief Morgan blinked at me before turning on her heel and walking off, motioning with two fingers for us to follow. Over her shoulder, she said:

"The pleasure is all mine Ms. Shae. I must apologize for Cameron's actions today; they were rather _brash _and _rude." _Mrs. Morgan spoke as she walked, leading the two of us around the building. Every so often she would pause to enter a code into a keypad to open a set of doors. As we progressed through the building the codes grew longer. Security grew tighter. This place was like a maze.

Before long the three of us entered an office and Mrs. Morgan signaled for a pair of guards to watch the door. Cammie immediately sprawled herself over one of the chairs in the room, tossing her legs over the arms. Her mother sat on the other side of the desk in the room. I tentatively took place in the seat next to Cammie, squirming anxiously. The events of the day were suddenly catching up to me, and to be honest I wasn't sure how much more I could take.

"Our meeting today could have been on much simpler terms," Mrs. Morgan started. "However my daughter can be quite careless in these situations." She offered a small, apologetic smile.

"Apology accepted," I said, my voice almost squeaking. "but to be honest I don't quite understand what I am doing here. I get that Cammie's some sort of super spy or whatever but what does that have to do with me?"

Besides me, Cammie snorted at my question, but her mother simply sighed. "Kate," she began, folding her hands together. "do you have any idea who your parents are?"

I blinked, staring at Mrs. Morgan with a dumbfounded expression on my face. What sort of dumb ass question was that? "Of course I know my parents. Lauren and Keith Shae."

Mrs. Morgan raised her eyebrows, sighing heavily. "That's not what I meant, Kate. I meant more along the lines of what your parents _do_. All your life you've traveled from state to state, country to country. Clearly you don't know why." She leaned across the table, her eyes narrowing to slits. "It's been twenty-five years since your parents joined the GSSC. They arrived together and are this organizations strongest members to date. When you were born your parents insisted on staying with the Commission. For your benefit they chose to keep their true identities a secret."

My jaw dropped. My parents? Secret agents? It couldn't be. Cammie I could wrap my mind around but there was no way in hell my parents were secret agents. My mother couldn't stand a weekend camping trip let alone save the world on a regular basis. I couldn't help but laugh at the thought. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Morgan, but I think you must have my parents confused with someone else's. There's no way my parents work for you."

Mrs. Morgan's sighed again; she was growing impatient, quickly. "Oh, but they are, Kate; and it is imperative that you know because you may be in grave danger."

"What makes you think that I could be in any sort of danger?" I almost rolled my eyes. The most danger I could be in was accidentally tripping down the stairs. "What kind of danger could I possibly be in?"

Besides me, Cammie sighed heavily, quite like her mother had done at least ten times in the past five minutes. She stared into my eyes, her expression dark. "The kind of danger where you're forced to climb onto mall roofs and jump from fifty stories with armed gunmen chasing after you." Cammie spoke so directly I could only gape at her. Those men had been after me?

I ripped my gaze from Cammie's, running a hand through my hair. This was too much to process in one day. Anxiety began to build in my chest, and I started to take deep breaths. I couldn't panic; not here, not now. After a moment I glanced up. "What do they want from me? I've never done anything; why could they _possibly _be after me?"

Mrs. Morgan leaned back in her chair, her lips forming a thin, apologetic line. "They want you to get to your parents. The GSSC is a highly reputable organization within this line of work, so naturally we do have some enemies." Chief Morgan swallowed, her eyes dropping to the desk.

"They want to take your parents out, Kate, and the easiest way to do get to them is to get to you first."

_**AN: Thank you for reading! Sorry it took so long to get up - from now on I will try to have a chapter up every Wednesday. Please rate/comment I'd love to get some feedback!**_


	3. Chapter 3

THREE

"Kate you can't run from your problems. Sooner or later you're going to have to face the fact that this is reality and _get out of that goddamn bathtub._" Cammie rattled the doorknob incessantly, but I refused to give in. Sinking lower in the tub, I allowed myself to slip below the surface of the water.

The water was warm and comforting and it had absolutely nothing to do with the Gallagher Secret Service Commission - or whatever. The water was safe. I might not be able to be run from my problems but this was as close as it was going to get, and I wasn't going to let up.

After Cammie's mother had told me that my life was pretty much in danger of ending sometime soon I had ran from the room. Cammie followed me out and had tried to convince me to stay, but after five minutes she gave in and we returned to campus in a taxi. I hadn't spoken a word to her since we left there, and I wasn't sure how long I could keep it up. Despite having kept what has to be the biggest fucking secret ever hidden from me, Cammie was still my best friend and I needed her cold, sassy ways to keep me sane.

"You _just _found out that I'm a secret agent Kate, use your brain. I have about six dozen methods of opening up this door and half of them aren't as pleasant as picking the lock." Again I ignored Cammie. Out of sight, out of mind. She didn't exist. The GSSC didn't exist. The world didn't exist. It was just me and the tub. The tub and I.

My goddamn life, man.

Approximately five seconds later I heard a loud banging noise and the door suddenly burst from its hinges. I screeched, grabbing for the closest towel as it landed on the floor. Cammie stormed into the bathroom, grabbing me by the arm. "You can run, kid, but you can't hide. At the end of the day I'm still a secret agent, your parents are still secret agents, and you are possibly in danger. It was my assignment to act as your roommate and protect you at all costs – that means both from your pursuers as well as yourself. I'm not going to let you sit and mope because that. is. not. healthy." With each punctuated word Cammie tugged on my arm, drawing me from the bathroom into the adjoining bedroom. I clutched my towel with my other hand, terrified it would slip.

"Cammie!" I yelled, ripping my arm from her grip. Cammie turned to look at me, crossing her arms expectantly."

"What?"

"_You didn't have to break down the fucking door!" _I motioned towards the bathroom, but Cammie only rolled her eyes.

"It's not broken, don't worry. I only took it off of its hinges, but that's not important. I understand that you're upset but you can't just shut yourself in. Can we at least talk about this?"

I threw up my arms, incredulous. "What's there to talk about? I've been lied to my entire life and I've just found out that both me and my parents are in danger and there's nothing I can do to stop it. _How do you think that makes me feel?"_ As I spoke, my words grew louder and angrier. I can only imagine what this scene would look like to an outsider. Me in a towel with sopping wet hair, tough girl Cammie looking at me with a half glare, half apologetic expression and the bathroom door off of its hinges and on the floor. Pretty frikin' strange.

Cammie sighed heavily, backing up to take a seat on her bed. "Look, I'm sorry your parents lied to you but you understand that it was to keep you safe, right? It just so happens that you're eighteen now and you have the right to know who your parents really are. What's important is that you are kept safe, because if you are safe then they are safe – sort of."

_Sort of? _I flopped down on the bed besides Cammie, throwing my arm over my eyes. "I don't even know _where _my parents are right now."

My roommate replied without as much as a blink of the eye. "Cherdyn, Russia. They've been stationed there since mid-summer to recover a disc containing valuable information stolen from the United States government."

I groaned, glancing over at Cammie. I may have just discovered her biggest secret, but she was still the same know-it-all I had come to love over the past few months. "I'm going to punch you, Cam." I muttered under my breath. Cammie responded in a monotone voice.

"I know eight different ways to shatter the bones in your left arm right now without touching you." My eyes widened and I lifted myself to a sitting position to look at Cammie. We stared at each other for a moment before Cammie broke, bursting into laughter. I followed, and for the first time all day I felt a weight lift from my chest.

When we sobered, Cammie drew me into a quick hug. "Are you going to be ok?" I pulled away, shrugging.

"I just feel so helpless, you know? Like, you're here protecting me and my parents are in Cheryl, Russia – "

"—Cherdyn."

"Whatever. The point is, there's nothing I can do to help my parents and the thought of them getting hurt because I wasn't able to keep myself safe is heartbreaking."

Cammie nodded in thought, her forehead wrinkling as if she was thinking hard. "There _is _something you can do, Kate," she said quietly. I glanced up at her, my eyebrows shooting up under my bangs.

"What could that be?" I asked.

Cammie turned to me, a spark in her eyes. "You can train. You can learn to defend yourself and others so that if something happens you know what to do. You don't have to stay in the dark – you can become an agent, just like me."

I turned to Cammie, "Are you kidding me?" I asked. But the expression in her eyes was clear. She was dead serious. "I'm not sure about this, Cammie . . ." I started to say. She interrupted me.

"Don't worry about it now, Kate. You can decide later." She hopped up from the bed and made way towards the closet. "Right now, you've got to get ready."

"Ready? Cammie, what are you talking about? Where are we going?" I glanced at the clock. It was almost one o clock in the morning.

Cammie turned to me, a smirk on her face. "You know one of my secrets now; I might as well reveal another. Kate, it's time you met the boyfriend."

**AN: Thanks for reading again! Please review! The next chapter will be up next week! **


	4. Chapter 4

FOUR

In the many months I'd known Cammie, the thought of her having a boyfriend never crossed my mind. She was so 'miss independent' that it never occurred to me that it could be a possibility. That is why, when Cammie said it was time to meet her boyfriend I had been stunned to silence.

"How could you keep something like this from me?" I asked as we made our way down the street. I had no idea where we were going, but I followed Cammie like a lost dog.

Cammie shrugged, turning around a corner. "I keep a lot of things from you, Kate." She said. "If I had told you there would have been questions and I couldn't really afford to have you asking questions."

I crossed my arms, sulking to myself. Cammie turned to me and laughed. "If I'm not mistaken it seems you're more upset about me not telling you about this than you were when you found out your parents identities."

"I can understand my parents," I said. "but keeping a boyfriend hidden? I mean really, he can't possibly be dangerous."

Cammie's eyebrows shot up at that. She scoffed once, shaking her head. "He's the most dangerous person I know," she said, and I think I detected a hint of wonder in her eyes. We walked what seemed like miles before we came across a tall chain linked fence. Cammie went to work immediately, grabbing hold and climbing with incredible speed. "Wait here," she called down. "I'll let you in once I reach the other side."

My eyes fell to the fence. There was a door a few feet away, locked I presume. As Cammie did her spy-climb thing I wandered towards the door and began to inspect it. When I had lived with my grandmother in Nevada my friends had taught me the basics of lock picking, though I'd never been good at it. It didn't hurt to try, though.

I removed two bobby pins from my hair and set to work, twisting and searching inside the lock until I heard a distinct click. Much to my surprise the door swung open, just as Cammie dropped to the ground. When she saw my work her mouth gaped open.

"Shit," she said. "maybe you do have some spy in you." Cammie then started to grin but no sooner than the words escaped her lips she was suddenly intercepted. A hand wrapped around mouth and waist, trapping her in a steel hold. I cried out, and tried to rush forward, but two pairs of hands wrapped around my wrists. I was suddenly pushed to the ground, completely immobile other than my head.

I glanced up in time to see Cammie wrestling her way out of her attacker's arms. _Is it them? _I wondered to myself. _The ones after me? _The thought sent shivers running up and down my spine. I couldn't move, if Cammie went down then we were both screwed.

Only I doubted Cammie would go down, because she was fighting with all of her might. She threw punches, kicks, anticipated her attackers movements and flipped out of harm's way. She was a dancing blur and it was only a matter of minutes before she had him wrestled to the ground. Hope rose in my chest at her victory, only to be crushed when the attacker rolled over so their positions were revered.

Cammie lay with her back to the ground, the attacker looming over top with two hands on either side of her head. It was then Cammie burst into laughter. _What the hell?_

Lights suddenly clicked on, and I blinked rapidly to adjust my eyes. We were in some sort of deserted parking lot. Cammie's attacker stood to his feet, holding his hand out to help her up. My wrists were released suddenly, and I almost toppled forward.

"Kate," Cammie said as I picked myself up from the ground. "This is Zach, Bex, and Macey. Guys, this is Kate."

"I'm sorry . . . what?" Finally on my feet, I began to massage my wrists. Whoever had been holding me must have had a grip of steel. Ouch.

Glancing upwards, I caught sight of who our attackers were. Two females, one male. One of the girls was tall and dark skinned with exotic features, while the other was drop-dead gorgeous, though the gaze in her eyes was deadly. I almost did a double take at the male because wow-ie - he was _hot stuff_.

The male, Zach, I presume, wrapped his arms around Cammie, leaning down to plant a quick kiss on her forehead. "Nice to meet you," he said turning to me. "Cammie's told us a lot about you."

I blinked, muttering out a 'nice to meet you, too' before turning to Cammie. "I can never put my guard down around you, can I?" Cammie laughed, and her friends joined in. My friend turned to me, smirking.

"I'm an international secret agent working for the leading agency in the entire world at eighteen, what do you think?" This time I returned the smile, and took a few steps forward to greet Cammie's friends with handshakes.

I turned to Zach. "So _you're _the secret boyfriend, huh?" I asked as I shook his hand. "Something tells me all the times Cammie snuck out wasn't only to go on some sort of mission." To my surprise and delight, Cammie blushed a deep red while Zach's face contorted into a smug expression. He wrapped his arms more tightly around Cammie, and Bex and Macey rolled their eyes.

"The cutest and most deadly couple around," Bex snorted, and for the first time I noticed her accent. It was rich and smooth and exotic. "Word around the agency is that in another decade or so those two may become just as strong as your parents are together."

My eyebrows shot up at this. It was strange to hear my parents being referred to as agents; I just couldn't wrap my mind around it. I opened my mouth to mention this, but before I could say anything Macey cut in. "Are we just going to stand here or are we going to head inside the warehouse, it's freezing out here." She crossed her arms over her voluptuous chest and huffed a cloud of fog into the air.

I turned my gaze to Cammie's friend. There was something familiar about her, something I couldn't quite put my finger on. Macey noticed my gaze and turned her attention towards me. "Take a picture," she snapped, "It'll last longer." And then she turned on her heel and started trapeezing towards the warehouse on the other side of the parking lot.

As the four of us followed her, Cammie unwound herself from Zach and hung back to walk with me. "Ignore Macey. She can get a bit testy at times but she's a really great friend and you can always count on her." I shrugged my shoulders, not sure how to respond. Cammie's friends, undoubtedly, were agents just like her. They were in a whole other class I could hardly identify. Hell, I didn't even know it existed until this afternoon. They could probably do things I've never even dreamed of, like snapping a man's neck with toothpicks or skinning a rabid baboon underwater with their eyes shut. (Hey, cut me some slack; how am I supposed to know what secret agents do?)

Cammie, noticing my silence, squeezed my arm. "Hey, don't look so glum. You'll get along great with everyone, ok?" I glanced up at her, offering a smile I hoped would appease her. With my reassurance she quickened her pace and caught up with her friends at the warehouse door. As Cammie started unlocking the door, she asked Bex, "where's Liz?"

Bex rolled her eyes, grabbing hold of the door handle and pulling the heavy door with all of her might. "She wanted to stay back in her room." The door slid open and we all stepped inside. "Something about a major hacking breakthrough on her latest case."

Just as I began to wonder what we were doing here, I heard a loud _thud _as the door slammed shut behind us. All four of us whirled just in time to see that we were surrounded by angry looking men with guns.

In approximately half of a minute, the most exciting day of my life turned dangerous.

_Well, shit. _

**A/N: So sorry this chapter is so late (I've been away). From now on chapters will be posted every Friday. I hope you like it! Please comment. Thanks! 3**


	5. Chapter 5

FIVE

Before I even had the chance to blink, the men surrounding us sprang into action. Cammie and her friends stood calmly, mildly alarmed by this sudden development.

Cammie barked orders at her friends as they slowly began to circle around me. "Macey and Bex cover the right side, Zach and I will get the left. Keep a three yard radius between them and Kate at all times. Do _not _leave any blind spot. And for god's sake, Katie just keep your head down and _don't move." _A second passed, and then the men were upon us.

Bex was the first to strike, ramming her elbow into one of our attacker's noses. Before he hit the ground, her foot was already planted into a stomach. The sounds of fighting surrounded me, and it took me a second to realize that I hadn't heard any gunshots. I frowned; they were carrying guns, why didn't they use them? It dawned on me then that they couldn't afford to get me injured. If they were indeed after me they had to get a hold of me unharmed. I felt a sudden hollow in my chest. As I watched my best friend battle with a half dozen armed men, I couldn't help but notice how unhelpful I was. I was a burden.

A sudden yelp drew me from my thoughts, and I whirled to see Cammie in a headlock. Her attacker wrestled her to the ground, and then turned to point his gun at her head. The room went silent. Zach leapt forward with a muted "shit!" but the expression in her eyes told him to stay put.

Bex and Macey fell into line with Zach, and the three of them formed a semicircle around me. "Let her go," Zach grumbled, his fists clenching at his sides. "No one needs to get hurt here, just let her go."

Cammie's attacker smirked, gripping Cammie tighter. She grimaced, trying to squirm in the man's hold. Cammie tried to speak through his hands, though I couldn't understand what she was saying. The other three did, however, spurring a tense reaction.

"Give us the girl and no harm will come to your little friend." The man's voice was like ice. A shiver ran up my spine. "We don't have to hurt anyone here, either, but we will if we have to." His thick eyebrows narrowed; a warning.

"You will not touch a split-ended hair on that girl's head," Macey hissed. "And you're not even going to _think_ about hurting that girl right there. So help me if I have to rip out your ribcage through your ass I will. _Let_. _Her_. _Go_." It was then that Macey charged forward, her long legs carrying her with surprising agility. At the same time, Cammie reached up with both hands to grab hold of the hand with the gun.

Cammie rolled out of harm's way, twisting the man's arm as she did so. Macey skirted to the side, pulling a rather large blade from the band on her thigh just as Cammie whirled around to point the gun towards the attacker. The man yelled out, doubling over in pain. Macey grabbed the man by the neck, tilting his head so that she could press the blade to his jugular vein.

"Looks like the balls in the other court," She whispered heavily with a strangely seductive tone.

The man groaned. "Just kill me now," he said, "they don't care about me. They were given a mission. The loss of one life isn't going to affect them."

Macey glanced at Cammie with an alarmed expression on her face. This wasn't part of the plan they had apparently come up with telepathically. Cammie sighed. She rose to her feet and in one swift movement, twisted the man's hand. A faint crackling noise filled the air as his wrist splintered, but Cammie ignored the sound. Instead, she turned to Zach, and with flashing eyes she uttered two words. "Smoke 'em"

Zach reached into his pocket and pulled out two marble-sized balls. He tossed them to the ground and immediately the room began to fill with smoke. I coughed, slapping my palm over my nose and mouth as the smoke engulfed me. Stumbling, I dropped to the ground, hoping the air would be clearer. No such luck. Two seconds later I felt a sturdy hand grab onto my arm and pull me forward. I found myself being held horizontally, like a child in its mother's arms. From muscle tone, I could have sworn it was Zach carrying me, but when we reached fresh air and I was put down, it was Macey towering above me.

"Damn, you're heavy," she said in her exotic accent, rolling her neck and shoulders. "Ever thought of taking a run or seven?"

"Macey!" Bex snapped, holding her arm out to help me up. I accepted, grimacing at the dull pain in my arm where Macey had grabbed me. Macey rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"So-o-ry, I just don't appreciate being attacked every time we're around her. It's getting a little annoying."

"What?" I frowned turning to Cammie. Zach was fussing over her, making sure she hadn't been hurt during the fight. Cammie balked as I asked for an explanation.

Pushing Zach away from her momentarily, Cammie walked in my direction. "It's been our mission all year to make sure you remained safe. I was assigned to watch over you on a daily basis, but these guys and Liz have been in charge of all the background work. A lot goes on that you don't know about – these guys are _always _after you."

I blinked, unbelieving. Yet again, something about my own life that I didn't know until right then. _Shit!_ I was getting tired of this. My face grew red, and I whirled on Macey. "Look, I'm sorry that I've caused you _so_ much inconvenience, ok? I didn't know about any of this until today. If it were up to me I wouldn't even _want_ people looking over me. It's a little bit creepy, to tell you the truth. I'm sorry I'm so useless and I'm sorry I can't protect myself. I'm so fucking sorry." I turned to Cammie. "I'm heading back to campus. Feel free to come along or if you'd rather stalk from behind to make sure no one's after me, go ahead."

I flung up my arms and began to stalk off. I knew I was being immature and bratty, but considering the day I had, I was in no mood to deal with this. Tired and frustrated, I made my way back to my dorm room on campus. Cammie did not follow, and I found myself disappointed. _But why would she? _I thought as I changed into my night clothes. She'd been friends with those people for god knows how long. What was I to her? A subject? The thought lingered, but I quickly expelled it. No, Cammie had proved time and time again that she valued me as a person. There was no way she would abandon me. Our friendship, though short-lived, was iron clad. It just so happened that it was her job to protect me. She'd done so much for me in the past few months . . . what did I have to offer her?

My mind drifted to the conversation we had earlier. _Should _I train as a secret agent? I frowned, weighing the pros and cons. I would be putting my life in danger, and maybe even selling myself to work as a dog for this secret organization, but I would be able to protect myself and those around me. I wouldn't be a burden anymore.

It was nearly four o'clock in the morning when Cammie returned through the window, and by then I had made up my mind. Cammie found me sitting cross legged on my bed with my laptop open resting on my thighs.

"How are you doing?" She asked, a bit tense as she made her way towards me. "I know Macey can get a bit snippy but you really can't take what she said back there so ser—." I cut Cammie off with a wave of my hand.

She blinked at me with a confused expression on her face. "I want you to train me," I muttered quietly with my chin down. Cammie frowned, apparently having heard my words.

"I'm sorry, what?"

I raised my head, allowing cold determination to flood my expression. "I want you to train me."

**AN: Sorry it took so long to update! Next chapter coming soon! Please comment! **


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